Node apparatus for communication network having multi-conjunction architecture

Abstract

A node apparatus is used in a communication network having a multi-conjunction architecture. The communication network has a plurality of transmission paths each coupling one node apparatus to another node apparatus or a terminal device. The node apparatus generally comprises an input port, an output port, and a control part for controlling the coupling of input channels of the input port to output channels of the output port. The control part couples a first receiving input channel which receives a signal first out of the input channels to all of the output channels excluding an output channel having a channel number corresponding to that of the first receiving input channel, so as to broadcast the signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A node apparatus for a communication network having a multi-junction architecture, said communication network having a plurality of transmission paths each coupling one node apparatus to another node apparatus or a terminal device, said node apparatus comprising: an input port comprising a plurality of input channels connected to the transmission paths;   an output port comprising a plurality of output channels connected to the transmission paths;   a switching gate part for coupling said input and output channels of said input and output ports; and   control means for controlling said switching gate part to selectively couple said input and output channels,   said control means comprising first input detecting means coupled to said input port for detecting a first receiving input channel which receives a signal first out of said input channels, first time-out means for timing a second predetermined time after a first predetermined time elapses from the detection of said first receiving input channel in said first input detecting means, and input signal detecting means coupled to said first time-out means for detecting whether or not said input channels receive a signal from the transmission paths,   said control means controlling said switching gate part to maintain said input and output channels coupled to each other in an initial state when said input signal detecting means detects that no signal is received at said input channels so that each input channel is coupled to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a corresponding channel number,   said control means controlling said switching gate part responsive to the detection of said first receiving input channel in said first input detecting means so that all of said input channels other than said first receiving input channel are disconnected from said output channels, thereby transferring the signal received by said first receiving input channel to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a channel number corresponding to that of said first receiving input channel,   said input signal detecting means supervising whether or not a signal is received by arbitrary input channels having channel numbers corresponding to those of the output channels which transfer the signal received by said first receiving input channel and detecting a specific one of said arbitrary input channels which receives no signal during said second predetermined time,   said control means controlling said switching gate part responsive to the detection of said specific input channel in said input signal detecting means so that said specific input channel is coupled to said output channels including the output having the channel number corresponding to that of said first receiving input channel.   
     
     
       2. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said control means controls said switching gate part responsive to the detection of said specific input channel in said input signal detecting means so that said specific input channel is coupled to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a channel number corresponding to that of said specific input channel. 
     
     
       3. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said control means further comprises signal producing means and fault storage means, said signal producing means producing an active signal from at least the output channel having the channel number corresponding to that of said first receiving input channel responsive to the detecton of said first receiving input channel in said first input detecting means, said active signal indicating that said node apparatus is operating normally and is active, said input signal detecting means detecting one of said arbitrary input channels which receives no signal during said first predetermined time, said fault storage means storing data indicative of said one of said arbitrary input channels detected in said input signal detecting means as receiving no signal during said first predetermined time. 
     
     
       4. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which said control means controls said switching gate part responsive to the data read out of said fault storage means so that said input channels are inhibited from coupling to an output channel having a channel number corresponding to that of said one input channel indicated by the read out data. 
     
     
       5. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which said control means controls said switching gate part responsive to the data read out of said fault storage means so that said one input channel indicated by the read out data is inhibited from coupling to output channels other than the output channel having the channel number corresponding to that of said one input channel indicated by the read out data. 
     
     
       6. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said control means further comprises signal producing means and fault storage means, said signal producing means producing an active signal from the output channel having the channel number corresponding to that of said first receiving input channel responsive to the detection of said first receiving input channel in said first input detecting means, said active signal indicating that said node apparatus is operating normally and is active, said input signal detecting means detecting one of said arbitrary input channels which receives no signal during said first predetermined time, said fault storage means storing data indicative of said one of said arbitrary input channels detected in said input signal detecting means as receiving no signal during said first predetermined time. 
     
     
       7. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which said control means controls said switching gate part responsive to the data read out of said fault storage means so that said input channels are inhibited from coupling to an output channel having a channel number corresponding to that of said one input channel indicated by the read out data. 
     
     
       8. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which said control means controls said switching gate part responsive to the data read out of said fault storage means so that said one input channel indicated by the read out data is inhibited from coupling to output channels other than the output channel having the channel number corresponding to that of said one input channel indicated by the read out data. 
     
     
       9. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said control means controls said switching gate part to couple each of said input channels to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a corresponding channel number when said control means detects an end of the signal received by said first receiving input channel. 
     
     
       10. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said control means controls said switching gate part to couple each of said input channels to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a corresponding channel number when said control means detects both an end of the signal received by said first receiving input channel and an end of a signal received by said specific input channel. 
     
     
       11. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said control means further comprises second time-out means for timing a third predetermined time when the signal received by said first receiving input channel takes a predetermined logic value, said control means controlling said switching gate part to couple each of said input channels to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a corresponding channel number when said signal maintains said predetermined logic value during said third predetermined time. 
     
     
       12. A node apparatus for a communication network having a multi-conjunction architecture, said communication network having a plurality of transmission paths each coupling one node apparatus to another node apparatus or a terminal device, said node apparatus comprising: an input port comprising a plurality of input channels connected to the transmission paths;   an output port comprising a plurality of output channels connected to the transmission paths;   a switching gate part for coupling said input and output channels of said input and output ports; and   control means for controlling said switching gate part to selectively couple said input and output channels,   said control means comprising first input detecting means coupled to said input port for detecting a first receiving input channel which receives a signal first out of said input channels, first time-out means for timing a second predetermined time after a first predetermined time elapses from the detection of said first receiving input channel in said first input detecting means, and input signal detecting means coupled to said first time-out means for detecting whether or not said input channels receive a signal from the transmission paths,   said control means controlling said switching gate part to maintain said input and output channels coupled to each other in an initial state so that each input channel other than input channels included in a fixed communication path is coupled to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a corresponding channel number, said fixed communication path being a communication path in which a signal transmission is made and including a communication path which is fixed between an input channel and an output channel until the signal transmission ends,   said control means controlling said switching gate part responsive to the detection of said first receiving input channel in said first input detecting means so that all of said input channels other than said first receiving input channel are disconnected from said output channels, thereby transferring the signal received by said first receiving input channel to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a channel number corresponding to that of said first receiving input channel,   said input signal detecting means supervising whether or not a signal is received by arbitrary input channels having channel numbers corresponding to those of the output channels which transfer the signal received by said first receiving input channel, so as to detect specific ones of said arbitrary input channels which receive no signal during said second predetermined time and to detect a certain one of said specific input channels which receives a signal after said second predetermined time,   said control means controlling said switching gate part responsive to the detection of said certain input channel in said input signal detecting means so that said certain input channel is coupled to the output channel having the channel number corresponding to that of said first receiving input channel and said first receiving input channel is coupled to an output channel having a channel number corresponding to that of said certain input channel, thereby a communication path being fixed between said input and output ports, each of said input channels other than said first receiving input channel and said certain input channel being coupled to all of said output channels other than output channels having channel numbers corresponding to those of said first receiving input channel and said certain input channel.   
     
     
       13. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 12 in which said control means further comprises signal producing means and fault storage means, said signal producing means producing an active signal from at least the output channel having the channel number corresponding to that of said first receiving input channel responsive to the detection of said first receiving input channel in said first input detecting means, said input signal detecting means detecting out of input channels other than input channels included in a fixed communication path one of said arbitrary input channels which receives no signal during said first predetermined time, said fault storage means storing data indicative of said one of said arbitrary input channels detected in said input signal detecting means as receiving no signal during said first predetermined time. 
     
     
       14. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 13 in which said control means controls said switching gate part responsive to the data read out of said fault storage means so that said input channels other than the input channels included in the fixed communication path are inhibited from coupling to an output channel having a channel number corresponding to that of said one input channel indicated by the read out data. 
     
     
       15. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 14 in which said control means controls said switching gate part responsive to the data read out of said fault storage means so that said one input channel indicated by the read out data is inhibited from coupling to any of said output channels. 
     
     
       16. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 12 in which said control means controls said switching gate part to set the coupling between said input and output channels which are other than input and output channels included in a fixed communication path to said initial state when none of said specific input channels receive a signal after said second predetermined time and the signal received by said first receiving input channel ends. 
     
     
       17. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 12 in which said control means further comprises second time-out means for timing a third predetermined time when the signal received by said first receiving input channel ends, said control means controlling said switching gate part to set the coupling between said input and output channels which are other than input and output channels included in a fixed communication path to said initial state when none of said specific input channels receive a signal during said third predetermined time. 
     
     
       18. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 12 in which said control means controls said switching gate part to couple a pair of input channels included in a fixed communication path to all of said output channels which are other than output channels included in another fixed communication path and other than output channels having channel numbers corresponding to those of said pair of input channels when said control means detects an end of a signal received by either one of said pair of input channels, each of said input channels other than input channels included in a fixed communication path being coupled to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a channel number corresponding thereto but inclusive of the output channels having the channel numbers corresponding to those of said pair of input channels. 
     
     
       19. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 18 in which said control means further comprises second time-out means for timing a fourth predetermined time when the signal received by said first receiving input channel takes a predetermined logic value, said control means controlling said switching gate part to couple said pair of input channels to all of said output channels which are other than output channels included in another fixed communication path and other than output channels having channel numbers corresponding to those of said pair of input channels and to couple each of said input channels other than input channels included in a fixed communication path to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a channel number corresponding thereto but inclusive of the output channels having the channel numbers corresponding to those of said pair of input channels when said signal maintains said predetermined logic value during said fourth predetermined time. 
     
     
       20. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 12 in which said control means controls said switching gate part to couple a pair of input channels included in a fixed communication path to all of said output channels which are other than output channels included in another fixed communication path and other than output channels having channel numbers corresponding to those of said pair of input channels when said control means detects ends of signals received by both said pair of input channels, each of said input channels other than input channels included in a fixed communication path being coupled to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a channel number corresponding thereto but inclusive of the output channels having the channel numbers corresponding to those of said pair of input channels. 
     
     
       21. A node apparatus as claimed in claim 20 in which said control means further comprises second time-out means for timing a fourth predetermined time when the signal received by said first receiving input channel takes a predetermined logic value, said control means controlling said switching gate part to couple said pair of input channels to all of said output channels which are other than output channels included in another fixed communication path and other than output channels having channel numbers corresponding to those of said pair of input channels and to couple each of said input channels other than input channels included in a fixed communication path to all of said output channels other than an output channel having a channel number corresponding thereto but inclusive of the output channels having the channel numbers corresponding to those of said pair of input channels when said signal maintains said predetermined logic value during said fourth predetermined time.